Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 232
•
Trim: 8¾ x 11¼
978-0-8108-8657-5 • Hardback • March 2015 • $114.00 • (£88.00)
978-0-8108-8658-2 • eBook • March 2015 • $108.00 • (£83.00)
Elisa Koehler is an associate professor at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. She was the music director and conductor of the Frederick Symphony Orchestra for seventeen years. She has performed on trumpets both old and new with groups as diverse as the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Orchestra of the 17th Century, Washington Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, and Newberry’s Victorian Cornet Band. Koehler is also the author of Fanfares & Finesse: A Performer’s Guide to Trumpet History and Literature (2014) and a member of the editorial staff of the International Trumpet Guild Journal.
Introduction
List of Illustrations
The Dictionary
Appendix 1: Timeline of Trumpet History
Appendix 2: Gallery of Valve Diagrams
Appendix 3: Mute Classifications
Appendix 4: Orchestra and Opera Audition Excerpts
For Further Reading
The latest title in Rowman & Littlefield's Dictionaries for the Modern Musician series is aimed at students, teachers, and performers, and all are well served by its comprehensive treatment of the subject. A thoroughly cross-indexed dictionary of terms forms the major part of this work, but its appendixes and bibliography are far from minor. These include a time line of trumpet history, a gallery of valve diagrams, and a list of excerpts suitable for orchestra and opera auditions. The bibliography is extensive and includes biographies and autobiographies, historic sources, websites, and more. This very specialized source should be added to the repertoire of academic library collections serving music students as well as public library collections serving amateur and professional musicians.
— Booklist
Professional trumpeter Koehler offers loving fanfare about her chosen instrument, with entries on its key role in military matters (as in reveille) and various permutations (as bugle, cornet, etc.), as well as developmental milestones, most prominent/notable players (Louis Armstrong, et al), and more. Appendixes include illustrations of various valve mechanisms. VERDICT A terrific read for musicians and fans alike.
— Library Journal
This latest volume in the publisher's ‘Dictionaries for the Modern Musician’ series is a most welcome addition to the trumpet player's shelf. Aimed at the contemporary performer, the dictionary contains a wealth of historical information, covering biographies of important performers, composers, teachers, and makers; technical aspects of playing the trumpet (e.g., multiple tonguing); musical issues and markings, including foreign terms; and mechanical aspects of trumpet construction. Koehler treats her topic broadly, covering such closely related topics as the cornet, historical precursor instruments from centuries past, and composers only tangentially associated with trumpet literature. The illustrations—all original for this book—are quite useful, particularly those in the second appendix, which illustrate the various kinds of valve blocks that have been used over the centuries. . . .[T]he documentation is quite good. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels; general readers; professional musicians and music teachers.
— Choice Reviews
Elisa Koehler new book demonstrates her wonderful ability to convey and explain a wide range of information, some of it rather complex, to both informed and novice readerships. As the book is a dictionary, each of the hundreds of entries is limited in size, but Koehler has nevertheless managed to assemble a wide range of trumpet-related topics including famous players, composers, instruments, organological issues, performance practice, compositions, as well as key concepts and historical events. Drawing on the famous line, 'poetry is what poets write,' Elisa Koehler has constructed her dictionary to embrace the totality of the trumpet family as anything that the modern trumpet player plays. Rather than restricting the topic, as some taxonomic endeavors do, she has broadened it.
— Historic Brass Society Journal
One strength of this volume is the introduction of historical subjects such as performance practice, baroque versus natural trumpets and the use of vent holes without going into unnecessary and frequently confusing levels of detail. The inclusion of performers and composers from the former Soviet Union, many of whom are relatively unknown in the West, is also an asset. . . .A Dictionary for the Modern Trumpet Player will prove useful to undergraduate students who will encounter a host of unfamiliar terms during their studies.
— Reference Reviews
The many line drawings are very clear and accurate, nicely augmenting the text. Cross-references in bold type add much to the usefulness of definitions and historical accounts. The author’s depth of knowledge and experience with historical trumpet performance contribute to this volume. . . .The ‘Introduction’ is short, but packs in enough information for the novice reader to gain a good understanding of the history of the trumpet for more than the last 200 years. Students should read the introduction before using this dictionary to learn about certain terms. . . .I can conclude that this dictionary is a valuable tool to have on hand for the trumpet student or anyone else with interest.
— American Musical Instrument Society
This dictionary is an excellent blend of first-rate scholarship and readability. The history of the trumpet extends back centuries, and trumpet-like instruments are found in almost every culture and made from almost any material. Many of these instruments (e.g., the shofar, the abe.n) are given some notice, often with a very useful line drawing. Indeed, the text is liberally sprinkled with more than sixty line drawings (rather than photographs, which perhaps would have increased the cost) and music examples that helpfully illustrate terms or instruments discussed in the text, all rendered especially for this book…. Koehler’s text is a good indicator of the breadth of knowledge required to be a successful musician today…. Koehler’s Dictionary is a very welcome addition to the bookshelves of all trumpet players.
— Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association